Spring at Old Lyme 1906

Childe Hassam painted this landscape, Spring at Old Lyme, with oil on canvas sometime around the turn of the century. The painting has a textured surface, and you can really see the brushstrokes, little dabs of paint laid side by side. It’s like Hassam built up the image, bit by bit, in a way that feels very modern. Look closely at the trees. See how each leaf is suggested by a tiny stroke of green or yellow? And then there’s that row of red-leaved trees towards the right – a burst of warmth against the cooler greens and blues. The paint isn't blended smoothly; instead, it’s broken up, so your eye does the mixing. It gives everything a vibrant, shimmering quality. There's something about the way he captures the light that reminds me of Monet, but Hassam's got his own American sensibility. It's like he’s saying, "Here's a moment, a feeling, captured in paint," but leaving space for us to bring our own experiences to it.